John Davin, 77, of Lacey Township, pleaded guilty in an Ocean County courtroom on Thursday to the aggravated sexual assault of a child.Ocean County Prosecutor's Office

TOMS RIVER – A 77-year-old Lacey Township man pleaded guilty in an Ocean County courtroom on Thursday to the aggravated sexual assault of a child.

In January 2013, John J. Davin, 77, of the Lanoka Harbor section of Lacey Township, digitally penetrated an 11-year-old child who he knew prior to the incident, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Davin was arrested on Jan. 25, 2013 and has since remained incarcerated in the Ocean County Jail on $250,000 bail with no 10-percent option.

The prosecutor's office said Davin would be sentenced in the second-degree range, under which Senior Assistant Prosecutor Terry Ann Linardakis is requesting he be sentenced to seven yeasr in New Jersey State Prison under the No Early Release Act, Megan's Registration, Parole Supervision for Life, and Nicole's Law, which requires him to have no contact with his victim.

The prosecutor's office said the sentencing will occur after an AVENEL evaluation.

The case was investigated by Det. Stephanie Bayha of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and Det. Ronald Buxton of the Lacey Township Police Department, with the assistance of Lt. Paul Valles of the New Jersey State Police.

Debra Giordano from victim-witness assisted the victim's family throughout the process.